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Nigeria’s Forthcoming Headcount: A Misplaced Priority and Colossal Waste of Resources By Abdulrahman Muhammad Dan-Asabe, Ph.D. Ningbo, P. R. China
May 05, 2005
Headcounts, when accurately conducted, enables a nation to know, among other things, and to some reasonable degree of accuracy, the total size of her population; which in turn enables her to effectively plan - based on knowledge rather than guess - for her population’s basic needs. It is the effectiveness of headcounts as a planning tool for the provision of basic public utilities and governing that always justifies its repeated nature and the resources spent in the endeavour. The old adage that says “if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail” simply sums up the essence of headcounts to nations.
No nation, however, embarks on headcounts without the need and/or justification for one. I shall show that, given the state of Nigeria now, practically, the forthcoming headcount is needless and without justification. It represents a misplaced priority and, if conducted, would be a colossal waste of time and resources to the nation.
Consider answering the following questions: does Nigeria need a new headcount to be able to revive her comatose Water Stations scattered throughout the country to a functional state - to pump water to people based on the waterworks original design capacities? Or make our refineries work and end the epileptic supply of fuel in the country? Or repair our existing roads that are now death traps? Or make NEPA work despite sinking over N300 billion into the organisation? Considering the critical state of the Nigerian nation today when virtually all-existing public utilities are crying for attention for revival and every dime is important, would it not be more prudent to simply estimate our population based on, for example, the 1991 Census and work according to that estimation?
One would have no problem accepting the idea of a new headcount if all, or even some, of the existing public facilities mentioned are, first of all, in a functional state and, secondly, operating at their full design capacities but could not meet required demand due to increase in population size. Nigerians are used to hearing of the lack of one thing or another in the country but are not, however, used to being assured of the required service and only asked to wait for it due to high demand. For example, Nigerians go to London or other western countries for medical treatment and/or checkups not because they have to go on a waiting list due to pressures on existing medical facilities in Nigerian hospitals but because the necessary facilities are lacking in the hospitals.
The question begging for an answer here, therefore, is how does this government arrive at the need for a new census? Will knowing that Nigerian population is more (or less) than the popularly quoted 120/130 million, or knowing Northern/Southern, or Christian/Muslim rations in the country solve any of the above and other myriad problems and sufferings Nigerians face daily?
Indeed, unlike past governments in Nigeria, the present President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government has the least need or justification for any new headcount in the country. While Nigerians especially the youths and graduates are crying for gainful employment, President Obasanjo’s government is known to have concluded plans to drastically reduce existing federal workforce. This is in addition to owing workers salaries for months, inability to fulfil mutually reached agreements with federal workers - like those with the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU), Nigerian Radio and Television workers, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), etc. and owing pensioners (e.g. railway pensioners) for the upward of 30 months with report of pensioners dying while waiting in queues for pensions. Again, how does a new headcount affect or clear these issues?
It is both funny and sad that our leaders always find money to embark on planning and re-planning population headcounts but no money for the execution and/or the continuous execution and functioning of the outcome of the headcounts. The utilization and benefits of the past headcounts in Nigeria, from the first post-independent headcount of 1963 to the 1991 census are, to say the least, doubtful.
Nigerian religious leaders ought to unite to achieve a more fruitful common goal, which is to come together and fight for the cancellation of the entire headcount instead of fighting for the inclusion of their respective religions (or tribe) in the census questionnaire. There are three important reasons for this call: firstly, no religion condones the waste of public resources. Secondly, given the present government’s mastery in rigging and forgery, a government that can ‘spring out’ an entirely new draft constitution from nowhere and by some faceless authors, it is doubtful that Nigerians will accept any outcome of the forthcoming census regarding Muslim/Christian ratio in the country. Thirdly and most importantly, the resulting disagreement from the second reason above, may lead to, at least, increased tension and strained relationship between the two groups. It would be, therefore, a great disservice to their respective followers for these leaders to endorse this corruption and the waste of public funds by fighting for inclusion of their religions in it.
Finally, given that no single public facility works as required in Nigeria today, another reason other than the planning for effective provision of public welfare to the citizenry must be responsible for the upcoming census. The most obvious reasons are political, corruption and contract-pushed endeavours. It is why irrespective of what one may say against it, the forthcoming census will not be cancelled. It has been planned, money has been allocated and possibly already shared, and the rest is simply a justification for the gulf that would be created in our national treasury. |